Passerby gets Sh180 Million tender

Intrigues surrounding the irregular procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) by Kenya Medical and Supplies Authority (KEMSA) have started to play out in the open.

On Thursday, December 10, one of the beneficiaries of the multi-million tender scandal that was executed at the height of COVID-19 pandemic in the country disclosed he was awarded a tender while he was just passing by the medical agency’s headquarters in Nairobi, along Embakasi Road.

James Njuguna who appeared before a Public Investments Committee (PIC) chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said he decided to go to KEMSA offices to check on what was happening after seeing a huge crowd around the premise.

When he asked the receptionist about the event of the day, Njuguna was told tenders were being given to interests parties and was told “not to waste time” if he was in need of one.

“I went straight to the receptionist who advised me to waste time and apply for the tenders which were being flaunted. I quickly penned off a two-sentence letter and after two hours I was told I had qualified and asked to collect a letter of commitment from the Chief Executive officer’s office,” said Njuguna as quoted by People Daily.

The witness, however, failed to explain how he managed to secure the deal so fast and without a question from the directors considering he had bypassed other procedures.

According to him, he had earlier done business with the state agency where he was tasked to supply fire equipment worth KSh 400, 000, thus had some records for reference.

Njuguna further told the committee there were many people who were applying for the tenders at that time and the procurement team at KEMSA was under pressure to address the outbreak of COVID pandemic in the country, hence no one had the luxury of time to interrogate the process.

“Tender were being issued to address an emergency and hence no need to go through the tedious process as time was running out, the county had been hit by a pandemic.
The director of La Miguela Holdings Limited said upon being the tender, he acted swiftly according to the direction and orders of those who had given him the task.

He also told the committee he had a friend who was suffering from COVID-19 at the time he won the tender and felt it was a great opportunity for him to step in and help save lives of such people by supplying PPEs swiftly.

Sourced from Tuko

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